The National Conference on Volunteering and Service that was co-convened by Points of Light Institute and The Corporation for National and Community Service was held in New York City. For a little background, the first part of my internship with POLI has been to serve on the "Core Conference" team, the details/planning group behind the conference. I had no idea what I was in for, but the blessings from serving on this team have been countless. What an incredible group of people. I am so very thankful and honored that I had the privilege to serve alongside each of them. While they are all very different and unique, each of them made an effort to welcome me and truly include as a part of the team. It was a crazy four weeks full of many long hours, but it was all worth it.
So back to NYC...We arrived last Friday (I can't believe it's been a week ago) at the Hilton and went right to work! It was so exciting to see all of the signage and beginning of the build outs for the conference. I got right into the city and went on my adventure looking for some missing supplies; it was kinda nuts walking downtown NYC searching for a Staples of all things. But over the course of the weekend, the Staples employees and I got on a first name basis :) Saturday and Sunday I was on support staff for a pre-conference training event for volunteer managers from across the country. While I enjoyed the event, the best part was definitely the company. I had the best time working with both Lori Jean & Tricia! On Saturday night, I had a break from real world and got to see a great friend. Frank was in NYC for the weekend and it was very nice to see a familiar face and catch up life on things other than work. We walked through Times Square, Ground Zero, and across the Brooklyn Bridge, I even rode my first subway. It definitely made miss Texas and all of my family and friends back home.
My biggest role for the conference was to plan and execute the two VIP receptions at Radio City Music Hall that were held before our opening events. I was in RCMH from 9 AM until 11 PM...INSANE, but I am definitely not complaining. The caterers did a phenomenal job and flowers were beautiful. I was very nervous planning an entire event from Atlanta, but it went better than expected. My role during the parties was to act as buffer between our security, RCMH staff, and our guests. It was joy to greet all of our guests and I really enjoyed meeting so many leaders in the volunteer sector. Monday’s opening event “Here’s to YOU!” was wonderful! Guest speakers included our CEO Michelle Nunn, Patrick Corvington (CEO of the CNCS), Mayor Bloomberg, Al Roker, Laysha Ward (CEO of Target) and many more. PS22 school choir performed “I’ll stand by you” and “Empire state of mind.” It was awesome!!!! You should definitely check them out on Youtube. Monday’s evening award show was equally as exciting with Broadway performances from West Side Story, In the Heights, and Million Dollar Quartet. Over 15 individuals/companies were recognized for their dedication to service. Monday was truly a breathtaking start to the conference!
Tuesday, I was a staff lead on an Immersion Learning experience in Queens, New York. An “immersion learning” is an off-site workshop opportunity for conference guests to experience service in NYC firsthand. My job was to make sure 85 people got on an off the subway and made it Queens, since my first time on the subway was only 2 days before it was quite the experience! But we all made it and learned a lot from the organization in Queens. Make the Road New York is apart of the Center for Neighborhood Leadership. An organization dedicated to activating leaders within their communities to make a difference for their futures. It was a predominately Hispanic community and I really enjoyed getting to interact with the residents. Many of them were at the center to simply learn the basics of English to ensure a better future for their families. On Tuesday, I went to the biggest party I have ever been to! The Target Party for Good was held at Pier 36, overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge. It was beyond beautiful! The party’s purpose was to make 150,000 meals (yes, you read that right) for the families of New York and to celebrate volunteer service. It was incredible!!!! Two new flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream were released: Berry Voluntary and Brownie Chew Gooder and lots of celebs made appearances. It was such a fun night!
Wednesday was the last day of the conference and it ended with the announcement of next year’s location…THE BIG EASY! New Orleans, baby!!! We passed out thousands of masks and beads and people were already excited for next year! The six days flew by! While I didn’t have much time to enjoy the city sights, I had a great time and learned so much. I am back in Atlanta now for another 2 months, but will be in TEXAS next weekend!!!!! I can’t wait to see my family and friends and to celebrate one of my best friend’s weddings! Molly (almost) Nason…one week countdown!!!!
I didn’t get take many pictures, but here are a few from Saturday…
LOTS OF LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Until next time, mal
Mallory I just stumbled across your blog and am so glad I did. It sounds like you are having a wonderful time and learning so much! You are doing work that is so needed in our world today! I am glad to be able to catch up with you on here since our lives are so busy!!
ReplyDelete- Maggie